And I don't really harbor any resentment toward Bethesda. It's just a shame that Morrowind might be overlooked in the mad rush of the 4th Quarter. This is definitely one title that will be in constant rotation on my play list once 2004 rolls around. Should people that already own Morrowind grab a copy? Oh yeah. There's more than enough new material to warrant a purchase.

So let's sum it all up, shall we. If you bought the original Morrowind and put it down shortly thereafter because the sheer size and scope of the thing overwhelmed you, the GOTY edition is an even bigger intimidator and you should probably give it a miss. On the other hand, if you would like to try questing in the land of Morrowind for the first time or played the original game until you actually started dressing like your character and addressing the neighbor's dog as "outlander", better get to your game store and pick up The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Game of the Year Edition right away. There are more lands yet to explore.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Game of the Year Edition is unique because not only does it feature all-new content from the Tribunal and Bloodmoon PC expansions, but it also contains the original Morrowind in its entirety. The challenge with this is creating a review that doesn’t alienate newcomers to Bethesda’s epic RPG by only covering the new material, but also not forcing Morrowind veterans to wade through gobs of text on the original game. To deal with this issue I have broken the review up into two parts: one that tackles the content found in the original Morrowind, and another that covers features new to the Game of the Year Edition. Both sections are preceded by bolded headers for easy identification. So what are you waiting for? Stop reading this and get reading the good stuff!

Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition may be the most expansive RPG ever crammed onto one disc. Here?s further proof that you don?t need an Xbox and a PC to enjoy the best games, you just need a little patience. Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition for the Xbox adds both the Tribunal and Bloodmoon PC expansion packs to an already gargantuan RPG adventure. It goes without saying that you can import your non-GOTY characters or start anew with a clean slate.

Despite possible technical problems and initial confusion, Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition is a must for any hardcore Xbox owner's library. What you're getting with "Game of the Year Edition" is the original Morrowind (a stellar game on it's own), plus two expansion packs and a number of miscellaneous improvements. Fans of the original incarnation will delight in the new material, and those eager to enter the world of the Elder Scrolls have a perfect starting point.

Maryland based developer Bethesda is perhaps best known for their venerable Elder Scrolls series, each installment having received numerous awards and critical acclaim from players and critics alike. Released in May 2002, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind was certainly no exception – ravenous RPG fans across the world praised the game for its amazing depth and almost overwhelming freedom.

When The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind came out on the Xbox last year, it wowed gamers by offering a huge open-ended world, excellent graphics and stellar gameplay. Now, Bethesda Softworks is releasing Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition. However, instead of offering the same game for a cheaper price and maybe a snazzier box, Bethesda is going one beyond and releasing the game with both of the PC expansions (which have never seen the light of day on the Xbox), Tribunal and Bloodmoon, along with the original game.

Sure I’ve knocked some aspects of the GotY Edition, but in reality it’s an incredible game. The GotY Edition will give previous Morrowind fanatics a few more reasons to dust off their character, and at the discount price, it offers a great chance for those whom may not have played it to jump right in. The fact that many of the bugs found in the original game weren’t addressed is a bit disheartening. All in all, the GotY Edition is better than the original, but I still expected more. This should be required playing for any RPG fan.

Can you truly have too much of a good thing? I suppose an ice-cream taster eventually gets sick of even the sweetest chocolate ripple, but for gaming geeks like yours truly, just keep the crack coming. You want to put out a new GTA game every year? Go for it. I'll play the hell out of it each and every time.

If you’re a fan of the original Morrowind, the GOTY edition will give you many more hours of play and add to the longevity of an already impressive game. If you didn’t like Morrowind, don’t bother with this new version, because it’s more of the same. If you have no experience with Morrowind, though, you should give the game a try, especially considering the number of gameplay hours you get for your dollar. With its open-ended model, an engaging plot and a beautiful score, Morrowind: GOTY will suck you into a truly addicting experience if you give it a chance.

Great Job done by all who worked on tying these three games/expansions together! If it were possible, removing even more of the bugs and slow-load times would be key. Otherwise though, this game is great- a little spit shine here and there could never hurt, but GOTY has really won me over... all over again.

Morrowind Game of the Year Edition is an excellent value. If you complete it fully, you’ll be paying around ten cents per hour. Compare that to some recent releases which have you paying some eight dollars per hour that is an insane bargain. If you were a fan of Morrowind, you’ll want the new content. If you weren’t really sure before, you can’t really beat 200 hours for $30.

Overall, whether or not one enjoys Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition depends on whether they liked the first game. Those who found the original overwhelming or uninspiring will want to skip the expansion. However, RPG fans who liked the open-ended gameplay and freedom of the first game will want to take a return trip-the two expansions with over 100 hours of new adventures coupled with the $30 price tag make this game one of the steals of the year.

The latest game in the Elder Scolls series, Morrowind, brought back the sense of wonder and open endedness that was present in the best of RPG's. Bethesda Softworks struck gold with then they brought forth Morrowind. The PC version was a top seller, and last year Bethesda released Morrowind for the Xbox. The Xbox version stayed true to the PC version, with only a few minor graphical differences in framerate slowdown (that is, if you're playing the PC version on a mid to high end game machine - if you're playing on a lower end machine, then it will actually look BETTER on the Xbox).

When I was finally ready to put the game to rest, I was a rich man with a beautiful home and a world full of people grateful for taking out my violent tendencies on the big bad guys for a change. There was no sense of guilt for skipping half the game’s content—no Dr. Robotnik juggling the Chaos Emeralds I missed, taunting me to try harder next time—just a sense of satisfaction at what I did accomplish. I can’t tell you how many RPGs recently have left me with a sense of relief, rather than satisfaction, for having finished them. Man, now I wanna go back and play the game again with a new character, maybe starting with Bloodmoon and working my way backward through Tribunal and then Morrowind. What’s another 200 hours, anyhow?

This reissued version includes a ton of new content as well as a few notable gameplay tweaks, making it easily recommended for Morrowind fans. Games are rereleased all the time. Since the average shelf life of a game is measured in weeks rather than months, game publishers find convenient ways of reissuing some of their stronger titles in order to give them more exposure throughout the year. The typical "game of the year edition" or "platinum hits" version of a game offers nothing more to those who played the original release than a discounted price and a shiny, new box. However, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Game of the Year Edition is an exceptional case.